How to Make a Chalkboard

Do you want to make a  chalkboard with cute phrases, motivational or inspirational messages to add a nice warm and welcoming touch to an environment? It is a popular way to market menus at cozy gathering places like small bistro’s, cafes, and coffee shops.  It is also an inviting, eye-catching way to make a statement for your home.

I have been wanting to create some inspirational messages in my home, but not sure how to do it. After looking at a few Pintrest ideas, I came up with my own simple version. After pondering what message I wanted to write and what I wanted to put it on, I happened to find something while on one of my thrift store treasure hunting trips. It was a brand new chalkboard  with a nice barn wood frame. It was perfect!

Creating a Message

First we need to create the message.  It is easiest to create and edit a document in Microsoft Word. There are so many fun and whimsical fonts to choose. Experiment with a variety of different fonts and sizes that you would like to see on your board. Adjust the sizes of the fonts until your cover the amount of the surface you will cover on your board.

Materials

• Chalkboard
• White Graphite Paper
• Mechanical Pencil
• White Color Pencil
• White Chalk
• Scissors
• Simple Green
• Rag

Layout to Make Chalkboard 

After you create the design you want, cut out the letters and place them onto the graphite paper. Secure the in place with a small piece of tape away from the letters themselves. This will help prevent the letters from slipping. You will also need to tape the graphite paper to the board to keep it in place.

Tracing the Letters

Use a sharp pencil to trace the letters. I prefer to use a mechanical pencil to achieve small details. Help keep the paper secured by holding the ends of letters down with your other hand.

Finishing the Details

Once you remove the paper, you will be able to see any areas that did not go through the paper. The marks from the graphite paper will not smudge. The beautiful thing about using a white color pencil is that you can get a sharper line and finer details. It doesn’t get smudges while you are working on the details. * When you compare at the picture of the traced letters with the layout of the letters, you will see I made some changes. I did not like where I place the word patience next to the letter P. I remove the word with some Simple Green applied to a rag then rubbed it off so it was clean. Soap and water didn’t work as well. After it was dry, I moved the word closer to the letter P.

Design Details

Once the letters are highlighted with a white color pencil, you can use the remaining space to create a design by freehand or using the same tracing process. *I used a piece of white chalk to freehand draw a design to fill the space. After I completed the design, I used the white color pencil to trace over it. Once it is complete, wipe the board gently with a damp rag. Use Simple Green on a damp rag and apply it to smudged areas that are hard to remove.